Citizens can call transportation dispatch at 503-823-1700 to report debris, mud, rocks, trees, standing water or branches blocking a road. Strong winds may bring fallen trees, tree limbs, and power lines in streets and yards. Report a downed power line in the Portland area to PGE at 503-464-7777 or PP&L at 1-888-221-7070. Do not try to free lines or to remove tree limbs from lines by yourself.

The Transportation Bureau is adding a crew and dispatcher on Saturday to handle an expected increase in calls to remove road hazards, clear any clogged storm drains, and close roads temporarily in case of standing water.

Check storm drains for debris that can prevent water from draining: Citizens are advised to check nearby storm drains and clear any debris from them to prevent local street flooding. Do not remove storm grates; if a storm drain is clogged below the grate, call transportation dispatch at 503-823-1700.

2) OKNA Board Retreat (1/11)

The OKNA board will meet for a retreat this Saturday, January 11. OKNA members are welcome to observe, but not participate. 9:00 am- 1:00 pm Overlook House, 3839 N Melrose

3) Overlook Business Speakeasy (1/15)

Its time again for another Speakeasy round table for Overlook business owners. Its an opportunity to start the year off right by connecting with a variety of business owners in the area to promote your business and to share advice.

This Speakeasy is going to be held at Pause at 5101 N Interstate Ave. They have agreed to make accommodations for our growing group. We’ll start up at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, January 15.

If you are interested please reply to let me know so that we can have a head count. Also spread the word to other business owners in the neighborhood who might be interested in attending.

As you hopefully know, our print newsletter Overlook Views is delivered every few months to every door in the neighborhood, and it’s all done by volunteer neighbors like you!

We have a need to cover a specific route on a permanent basis in the vicinity of Denver & Detroit. You don’t need to live in that part of Overlook to take this route; it’s a lot of fun to walk around a block where you don’t live!

Routes take about an hour, every three months. If you would like the Denver/Detroit route, or you’d like to be on the on-call delivery list, please write to Alan and Michelle at Views @ OverlookNeighborhood.org and let us know what you are up for.

5) The Portland Police Bureau would like to hear from you!

The bureau is seeking input from neighborhoods regarding policing services through a brief survey posted on the Police Bureau website: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SPVFPXH. The survey results will assist Police Bureau management in the development of the bureau’s programs and service priorities for the FY 2014-15 Budget. To help with greater levels of participation, we would appreciate if you share this survey opportunity with your neighborhood association membership as well as anyone else you feel would be interested in providing input.

Thank you very much for your participation.

Mike Reese, Chief of Police

6) Overlook Village Street Fair Fundraiser (2/19)

We want this year’s Overlook Village street fair to be amazing, so we’ve decided to hold our first-ever silent auction fundraiser.

You will be able to bid on many great items donated from local businesses, breweries, and restaurants (stay tuned for a complete list). In addition to the auction, there will be live music from talented local bands Abigail, Dusty Grimm, and Joy Pearson. Food and drinks for attendees are included in the ticket price.

When: February 19, 2014, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Where: Hatfield Warehouse 2130 N. Killingsworth (between the Naked Sheep and Podkrepa) How Much: Tickets are $15 and will be sold in advance at several businesses along N. Killingsworth (look for the “tickets sold here” poster) as well as at the door.

If you have any questions or would like to donate an item for auction, please contact Rebecca McCracken at overlookvillage@gmail.com.

7) OKNA on Facebook

Be sure to ‘like’ OKNAinPDX on Facebook to keep up with all sorts of Overlook news. This week’s posts include a new bike trail in North Portland, a soccer event for Beach School kids and a new neighbor looking for vet recommendations (hey, she didn’t get any answers yet.. help a neighbor out!)

Be sure to like us and click ‘follow’ to receive our posts in your news feed www.facebook.com/OKNAinPDX